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  #41  
Old 04-10-2016, 07:31 AM
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daveneumann daveneumann is offline
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Hi Elberoth,

I am very interested in your evaluation of the Sabrina. As you know from the Audioshark forums, I am looking to replace my Sasha 1's. My room is going to be fairly large (moving to a new house). How does the Sabrina compare with Sasha 2? How about Magico S-5? Are you considering buying them as your main speakers, or just playing with something until your S5 mk2 arrive?

I'd appreciate any information you can share. I've followed your system upgrades since you built your beautiful listening room many years ago.

Warm regards,

Dave
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  #42  
Old 04-10-2016, 03:03 PM
Console666 Console666 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elberoth View Post
Got the Sabrinas at home right now. I have to admit - this is great sounding speaker, that does everything just right. They are beautifully balanced, throw a big and stable soundstage, and sound much bigger than their size may suggest. I think Wilsom nmay have a winner in the sub-$20k category. They were a bit too bass happy in my room, but part closing the bass port with a sponge did the trick for me.
Sponge works, but do your Sabrina's judgement and cut them for accurate fit please!
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  #43  
Old 04-10-2016, 04:34 PM
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Dr Tone Dr Tone is offline
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Originally Posted by Slange00 View Post
My Sabrinas have arrived, I will post impressions when they have had some time to burn in (they already sound stunning...).

Congrats! Enjoy.
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  #44  
Old 04-11-2016, 02:16 PM
nonesup nonesup is offline
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Hi Elberoth .
Could you describe the differences between Sabrina and S5.
Regards
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  #45  
Old 04-11-2016, 07:01 PM
Elberoth Elberoth is offline
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I'm basicly playing with with speakers I can put my hands on, until my S5 mk2 arrive.

Sabrinas and the S5 are playing in a completely different leagues - as should be, considering the price difference ($16k vs $33k). The S5s are across the board better. If anything, the Sabrinas should be compared to the Magico S1 mk 2, which I haven't heard yet.
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  #46  
Old 04-11-2016, 07:22 PM
Elberoth Elberoth is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by daveneumann View Post
Hi Elberoth,

I am very interested in your evaluation of the Sabrina. As you know from the Audioshark forums, I am looking to replace my Sasha 1's. My room is going to be fairly large (moving to a new house). How does the Sabrina compare with Sasha 2? How about Magico S-5? Are you considering buying them as your main speakers, or just playing with something until your S5 mk2 arrive?

I'd appreciate any information you can share. I've followed your system upgrades since you built your beautiful listening room many years ago.

Warm regards,

Dave
It is a very good speaker. It is not Magico S5 good by any measure, but it is easy to like as it has no apparent weeknesses.

The only problem I had in my room was aparent bass boom. I'm not sure if that was a room interaction (port tuning freq beeing the same/very close to a bass peak that my room has) or maybe that is a natural reaction to bass-reflex bass after you live for 2 years and get used to superior sealed box bass of the Magicos ... not sure. When I got the S5s 2 years ago, after having owned Wilsons for 5 years (Sophia 2, then Sasha 1), the bass reproduction was the aspect that impressed me the most. Not the ultra smoothness of their Berylium tweeter, not the overall balance and ultra low coloration - so things that people expect from Magicos - but the bass quality.

The bass from the Wilsons - which I thought was excellent at the time - turned out to be boomy in comparision. The bass from the S5 did not only reach much deeper and had more slam - it was also much faster and MUCH more articulate. I've heard textures in the bass I didn't even know existed.

That was a big surprise for me, as I got the S5 primarely because I got tired of that ringing Wilson tweeter. I have swapped so much gear and cables during those 5 years, never beeing 100% satisfied, only to discover it was a tweeter problem from the very beginning that was giving me grief.

The tweeter in the Sabrinas is much better in that regard (no aparent ringing) but at the same time, I feel it lost some of the speed and sparkle of the old titanium tweeter used in the Sashas 1. So to my ears it is a bit of lateral move, although I'm sure that for the majority of the people it will probably be perceived as a major step up.

The berilium tweeter used in the Magicos (also used in Rockports and other designs) has all the speed, detail and articulation of the old titanium tweeter, at the same time beeing even smoother than the soft dome designs.

But as I said - no one shopping for a $16k speaker would consider the $33k Magicos as a viable alternative, so the point is moot.

For the money, you can't go wrong with the Sabrinas.
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  #47  
Old 04-12-2016, 12:18 AM
tima tima is offline
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Default Sabrina Review

There is new review of the Sabrina from Marc Mickelson on The Audio Beat.
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  #48  
Old 04-12-2016, 03:16 AM
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John49 John49 is offline
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Originally Posted by tima View Post
There is new review of the Sabrina from Marc Mickelson on The Audio Beat.
Makes me want Sabrina's even more!
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  #49  
Old 04-12-2016, 05:28 AM
bds bds is offline
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Hello Elberoth,


I have the Sasha2 (with Passlabs class A): wilson is sure a great speaker but the sound vs the Magico (as wrote) is very different. 2 "tecnologie"......Wilson can be problematic wih the bass....Magico without "reflex" dont have "bommy bass".....

I consider a pair of Magic instead of wilson not because Wilson does not sound good but because of the low speech....

acoustic pannel, isoltation,ecc... but....yes but....
Magico S5 is a very good speaker, the new S5mk2 i think wil be amazing be a "demo" S5 or maybe a S3 is too in my "wishlist".

Sure S3 come in the mk2 version but the price will be 30% more expensive

S5 is around 41 k. euro !!! a "new S1mk2 19,9k.....same for the Sabrina but Sabrina dont is at the level from a S1 ( and sure not S1mk2..)


Ps: in the Sabrinas reflex what fo a sponge you used? a bath?

I have a room (NOT DEDICATED) from around 55m2 -> invest $$ in a demo/new S3 (25k. with lucky) PLUS the S3mk2 outbound in 6 months ca. is
understandable for you? (S3mk2 39k ca.!!)


thank ypu for feedbak
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  #50  
Old 04-12-2016, 09:18 AM
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Dr Tone Dr Tone is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elberoth View Post


That was a big surprise for me, as I got the S5 primarely because I got tired of that ringing Wilson tweeter. I have swapped so much gear and cables during those 5 years, never beeing 100% satisfied, only to discover it was a tweeter problem from the very beginning that was giving me grief.

The tweeter in the Sabrinas is much better in that regard (no aparent ringing) but at the same time, I feel it lost some of the speed and sparkle of the old titanium tweeter used in the Sashas 1. So to my ears it is a bit of lateral move, although I'm sure that for the majority of the people it will probably be perceived as a major step up.

The berilium tweeter used in the Magicos (also used in Rockports and other designs) has all the speed, detail and articulation of the old titanium tweeter, at the same time beeing even smoother than the soft dome designs.

But as I said - no one shopping for a $16k speaker would consider the $33k Magicos as a viable alternative, so the point is moot.

For the money, you can't go wrong with the Sabrinas.
I went from the aluminum inverted dome in the Focal 836W to the inverted dome beryllium of the Focal 1028BE.

To me the tweeter in the Sabrinas is a god send, I can once again listen to music for extended periods. It certainly doesn't have the detail of the Beryllium but I can live without it as all my music has become enjoyable again.

Last edited by Dr Tone; 04-12-2016 at 09:26 AM.
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